NAGPUR: House-to-house survey was a successful measure to detect Covid-19 cases during first and second wave. The government is using a similar strategy for detecting patients with tuberculosis now. A tuberculosis search campaign will be implemented from November 15 to 25 in Nagpur district.
Under this campaign, teams of the health department will visit houses in marked regions of Nagpur district and collect the samples of residents having symptoms of TB from long time. Accordingly, their X-Ray and CB-NAT testing will also be conducted.
“Team members will conduct survey of all family-members. Those having cough for more than 2 weeks, fever, experiencing sudden drop in weight etc will be tested for TB,” said district TB officer Dr Mamta Sonsare. In case of diagnosis, free medical treatment will be provided by the local health institutions.
All households in rural areas and selected areas in urban areas will be surveyed. Survey team will have two members. It will include Asha Swayamsevak in rural and Arogya Sevak in city areas.
The National strategic plan for tuberculosis elimination 2017-2025 aims at eliminating TB in the next 4 years. “Detect – Treat – Prevent – Build” (DTPB) is the formula on which the state health department is working.
Hospitals, diagnostic labs and medical stores have been directed to keep the record of TB patients and upload it on the digital platform to ensure the documentation of TB.
“Till now, only medical practitioners, hospitals and laboratories were notifying TB patients to government health system. Now, all chemists will also inform about TB patients for whom they have dispensed the TB drugs,” said Dr Sonsare.
TB patients are also encouraged to notify themselves. “We are planning to reach out every TB patient so that the incentives and support to patients, families and communities can be properly extended,” Dr Sonsare added.
